Belgian national says he feels safer in PH but not in Belgium, tells Belgian leaders to visit PH, stop voicing criticism & lots to learn here!

A highly upset Belgian national who is married to a Filipina took to Facebook to express his frustration at his government due to worsening peace and order situation in his home country.

Ronny De Blaere’s running commentary was shared by DDS blogger Mark Lopez who found his take on the Philippines very heartwarming.

De Blaere just arrived in Belgium after a visit to PH only to find out that his home was broken into and robbed.

De Blaere admitted he was not the type of person who would comment on this via social media but what happened, he would make this an exception.

De Blaere made the running commentary in light of recent Iceland Resolution in the UNHCR, which we learned Belgium co-sponsored.

In the FB post, De Blaere lamented that the Star Wars gadgets of the Belgian police seemed to be not working in preventing crime because there is no final punishment for someone who gets caught.

While in the Philippines, De Blaere remarked that he feels safe anywhere he goes.

De Blaere said must be because the main focus is on “old school policework”. A person who is considering to commit a criminal offenses knows what consequences are and the punishments are actually executed if a perpetrator is caught.

De Blaere concluded that Belgian leaders should visit the Philippines with an open mind rather than voicing unfounded criticism.

He said he is convinced that a lot can be learned there.

You may read Mark Lopez’s full FB post below.

BELGIUM

Peeps, came across this FB account of a Belgian national who is married to a Filipina.

Mr Ronny De Blaere has just returned to Belgium after a visit to the Philippines, and he posted a running commentary after founding out that his house in Belgium was robbed.

Read his heartwarming take on the Philippines compared to Belgium, especially in the light of the recent Iceland Resolution in the UNHCR, which we learned Belgium co-sponsored.

Here is what Mr. De Blaere has to say:

“Thank you for all your support.”

“The fact is that I am not terribly angry that my house has now been broken into. Of course, coming home in such a way is not pleasant.”

“I am terribly angry (and disappointed) because during my trip back to the Philippines I heard that our Belgian leaders had to criticize the Filipino leaders once again.I am not in the habit of communicating about this via social media, but this time, I would like to make a comment on this.”

“My father has always taught me to first look into my own plate. I would also recommend this to our political leaders.”

“In Belgium, autodidacts are talking about raising the feeling of insecurity among citizens as a solution for lowering criminal offenses. Numerous visible elements (such as ANPR cameras, Neighborhood information zones, more blue on the street, etc.) are added to the street scene to convince the people that the government is working on the fight against crime. I also note that people nowadays put a lot of effort into the ethnographic approach, especially within big cities.”

“And yes, the crime statistics are dropping, but the questions is how real our the crime statics? As the society is adapting to new circumstances, victims fail more and more to report criminal offenses to the police. A burglary in a home has no monger the same impact on our society than the same burglary 20 years ago. However, the facts stay the same.”

“Another point is that the basic elements of the statistics are no longer the same as 10 years ago, which means that people will start comparing apples with pears.”

“Belgian police can (give)you all kind of Star Wars gadgets, but there is no final punishment for someone who gets caught.”

“In the Philippines, the main focus is on “old school policework”. A person who is considering to commit a criminal offenses knows what consequences are and the punishments are actually executed if a perpetrator is caught. As far as I know, little effort is put into ethnographic approach and, unfortunately, there is no budget for the Star Wars toys such as ANPR cameras.”

“Yet Filipinos are clearly behind their leaders, while this is clearly not the case in Belgium.”

“Yet I feel very safe everywhere in the Philippines, while I cannot say the same about Belgium.”

“Yet the sense of security among the local population in the Philippines increases, while this decreases in Belgium.”

“So it seems very strongly that the old school policework does the work, while our major studies and our star wars gadgets apparently don’t work.”

“I can only conclude that our Belgian leaders should visit the Philippines with an open mind rather than voicing unfounded criticism. I am convinced that a lot can be learned there.In the meantime, I want to thank everyone for the many statements of support.”

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And a fellow Belgian, Geert Verhaegen, also made this comment in the same thread:

“I can only confirm your feelings… In the Philippines crimes are punished according to the impact they cause to the victims and here in Belgium the perpetrator is already committing its next criminal violation while the Police is still making the report of the previous one.”

“Such things makes you pissed off and give you serious doubts about our leaders who point finger to the Philippines without having been there to check out how safe it really is out there in that so called “third world country.”